


Bus Buddies

by WhatTheBodyGraspsNot



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cuddling, Fluff, Lance wants to save the bees and Keith is the sweetest honey of them all, M/M, Puppy Love, join them on their trip across the country, keith is a little awkward and lance is Into That Shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-28 06:53:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10826064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhatTheBodyGraspsNot/pseuds/WhatTheBodyGraspsNot
Summary: Lance, Hunk, and Pidge are about to set off on their cross-country trip to the Save The Bees march in California, but before the coach bus can even pull out of the lot, Lance has his eye caught by the cute boy in the back. Turns out, this cutie doesn't have a bus buddy. But guess what? Lance could be the perfect bus buddy ever if he just gives him a chance.





	Bus Buddies

**Author's Note:**

> when you can't sleep on a bus trip, you start to think about your otp not being able to sleep on a bus trip.  
> (had to get this out of my brain before getting back to work on crowd pleaser)

SAVE THE BEES!

It’s what’s scrawled all over the banners that’re shoved into the overhead compartments of their bus. It’s a coach - a nice one - one that their college rented for them because apparently certain accommodations need to be met after a certain amount of estimated hours on a cross-country trip. 

Hunk crams his backpack into the available space and then joins Lance in their selected pair of seats. They’re in the sweet spot - halfway back - distributed evenly between the stretch of the bus’s wheels to promote the steadiest ride, and therefore a dramatically better chance that Hunk won’t get sick.

Lance swipes through his phone next to the window as they wait. He knows he should conserve battery - that it’d be pretty pathetic to burn through to a point where he needs his backup charger when they haven’t even pulled out of the rec department parking lot - but he’s got a lot of energy. Body energy. Pent up energy that circles around in his brain until things ease to a sudden stop when his eyes flick up.

People have been periodically passing through the aisle to the back of the bus as they’ve arrived, but no one’s caught Lance’s eye like this guy. Dark hair. Cute cheeks. Bags under his eyes as he adjusts the strap on his backpack midstep and then just so happens to glance over to where Lance is already watching.

He blinks but doesn’t scare away from the eye contact, still slowly moving forward, head tilting just a fraction of an inch to keep the gaze held between them. And Lance is pretty sure they both know it’s not proper etiquette to stare at strangers, but...

Wow.

Wow is he a  _ cutie. _

The moment is over then, the guy’s attention finally straightening back down the aisle as he grows close enough to pass by Hunk.

And Lance is kind of having a moment here because  _ hello,  _ no one told him he was going to be saving bees with the sweetest honey of them all.

“Hunk- Dude, did you just see that guy?” He whispers it, although it’s unnecessary, as the space between them is minimal and the boy of their discussion has already settled himself down in the window seat of the last row. 

Hunk’s already burning through his battery too, but makes time to humor his friend. “What about him?”

“‘What  _ about  _ him’? Uh, okay  _ nothing,  _ except that he’s literally the prettiest person I’ve ever laid eyes on.” 

It’s a bit much. But Hunk’s used to it. “Is he in the bio department?”

Lance chances a peek over the headrest of his seat, on reconnaissance but gleaning nothing except for the image of the mystery guy pulling out a set of headphones from his bag while looking out the window. The sunglasses perched on the top of his head are keeping the majority of his bangs up, it seems. Not that that’s important information in the slightest.

“Never seen him,” Lance deduces. Because he’d abso _ lutely  _ remember a face like that.

“What’s going on.” Pidge picks now as the time to lean forward in their seat across the aisle, pulling out an earbud with a dry blink toward Hunk. “Why’s he look like that?”

Lance shoots them a finger-gun instead. “Love at first sight, Pidge.”

“Ew.” Clearly it’s not well received. “Can’t you at least wait until we leave campus?”

“No can do, buddy.”

Pidge’s response is a blatant shove of their headphone back into their ear, clearly too wiped from packing and stressing over logistics to deal with Lance’s particular brand of foolishness today.

It’s fine. 

Lance gets it.

Plus he has Hunk.

“He stared at me when he walked past,” he continues, propping an elbow up on the seat in front of him to get a good angle of both his friend and his person of interest. “Do you think he likes me?”

“I dunno dude. You should probably just go talk to him.” Hunk’s tired too.   

Everyone’s tired.

Lance still has all this fucking energy but everyone’s tired. What’s up with that?

He shakes his head, “Mm-mm,” chews on the cuticle of his thumb as he thinks, “It’s too early.”

Hunk laughs. “Yeah. Wouldn’t want anyone thinking you’re desperate or anything…”

It’s a gentle insult because they both know Lance is a lot of things, and desperate is definitely one of them. Passionate, too. Obsessive...eh, sometimes. And  _ desperate... _

“He doesn’t have a bus buddy.”

“Nope, doesn’t look like it.”

“Pidge, you don’t have a bus buddy either. You shou- oh yeah, you’re still ignoring me.” 

Lance huffs. Stuffs himself back down into his seat as the bus jerks to a start and begins to roll out of the parking lot. Fine. He’ll drop it. For now. At least until they’ve got some miles behind them.

 

\-  -  -  -  -  -

 

“Okay but for real…” (they’ve just made it past the 7/11 down the street from campus) “Who comes on a three-day trip across the country by themselves?”

He’s propped himself back up against the window, elbows resting on the headrests. Hunk doesn’t even glance up from the class survey on his phone. “I’unno dude.”

“He’s gotta be here with someone, right?”

“I dunno, maybe?”

“Anyone up there look like they know him?”

This specific question prompts movement in return, and Hunk is nice enough to glance up from his phone in order to quickly scan the backs of the heads sitting in front of them. “Probably not. Go talk to him.”

Lance frowns. Flicks his eyes back to where the cute guy’s attention breaks away from him just as they meet.

He’s been looking at him. Pretending not to when he’s caught. 

Lance should go talk to him.

“It’s still too early…”

“Alright, then don’t go,” Hunk sighs, thumbs tapping a mile a minute to complete a fill-in at lightning speed. “Stay here and be super obvious.”

Ahh. 

It’s not that easy.

There are certain rules to follow. Certain flirting etiquette. And chasing after the person five minutes after seeing them is amazingly somehow not the first rule on that rule list. 

So he waits. 

For real this time.

\-  -  -  -  -  - 

They’re an hour in. The cornfields are as super boring as they’ve always been, so Lance uses it as an opportunity to put some pep in his friend group’s step. (Through his natural positive energy, of course.)

Hunk eats it up without realizing it, now finally finished with his class survey and able to focus on the adventure that lies ahead of them. Pidge even stops listening to music in order to tune into Lance’s reenactment of the goose that chased after him in the quad today, interest falling on their friend’s impressive pantomime of running across the field while still remaining semi-perched against the window.

Lance gives a good show but doesn’t go all in - skips over the flap of his wings and his obnoxious goose call imitation - because he knows Pidge and Hunk aren’t the only ones watching. He realizes that he may or may not be making such a commotion to draw attention from certain third parties. And that certain third parties will redirect their gaze toward the window with a small frown after a second of solid eye contact.

It’s a game, kind of. Cat and mouse. They look and then don’t and then do and Lance doesn’t know if he’s technically the cat or the mouse but it’s kinda fun no matter  _ what  _ he is. Hunk is very kind and courteous for someone who has to deal with the not so subtle posturing inches from his face. For the first couple stories. Around the fifth, he finally gives in.

“Okay, can you please just go back there?”

Lance pauses, hands frozen in front of himself mid-invisible-trombone-slide. “Back where?”

“Back  _ there.  _ You’re so obviously trying to get him to look at you and frankly I’m dying a little from the secondhand embarrassment.”

Lance scoffs, posture straightening a bit. “I am  _ not  _ embarrassing.” 

Hunk doesn’t buy any of it. “Go talk to him,” he says. “Ask him what his name is. Tell him how deeply in love with him you are, whatever it is you do just-...just go talk to him please before I lose my mind.”

Lance makes a little grunt of insult in the back of his throat, but can’t deny that Hunk is spot on. He  _ wants  _ this dude’s attention.  _ Needs  _ it. Should probably just...god, go fucking talk to him now, shouldn’t he?

“Alright,” he says, head ducking a bit as he zeros in his attention on the back of the bus and formulates his plan. “Alright fine, I’m doing it.”

“Thank god.”

He slides past Hunk’s offering of hands to the heavens, only stopping once he’s in the aisle to look back. “Oh, and don’t worry, dude. I’ll let you be our child’s godfather.”

“I was seriously so worried - how did you know.”

His friend’s particular brand of humor disappears behind him as Lance shimmies his way to the back of the bus, the pothole bumps growing just the slightest bit more noticeable as he weaves through bookbags that never made their transition from the aisle to the overhead compartments.

It takes the cutie in the backseat a solid few heartbeats to notice the change in atmosphere - the shifting of momentum - the steady approach of someone with  _ him  _ as the ending destination - and when he does, the crease in his brow is questioning.

And then Lance sits down.

Right next to him.

Just kind of uses the headrest of the seat in front of him to swing his way in and plant himself down.

“Hey.”

And this dude...this incredibly cute boy...he’s flicking his eyes between Lance and the direction Lance came from, a small confused frown playing over his face as he slowly takes an earbud out. 

When it becomes clear that he’s not going to get an immediate response out of him, Lance offers a friendly smile. “You looked kinda lonely - well, I dunno maybe you’re not lonely, maybe this is kinda your thing, but-” Stop. Rewind. “I’m Lance.”

He sticks his hand out, which isn’t a tough task because the space between them is already so tight with how close the seats are. 

The mystery cutie (who is somehow even  _ waaaay  _ way cuter up close, holy shit) looks at Lance’s hand, thinks, and then slips his own into it to complete the introduction. “Keith.”

Huh. Not the kind of name Lance was expecting, but adorable nonetheless. “Keith. Alright so what the heck, Keith? Where’s your bus buddy?”

Their hands drop, Lance’s raising again to hold onto the headrest, Keith’s balling into his lap. “Uh...nonexistent...I guess…”

Lance raises an eyebrow. Appreciates the tingle left in his fingers. “Whatdaya mean?”

This Keith guy pulls out the other earbud, probably picking up on the fact that Lance isn’t here for a drive-by. “I heard about this trip from a friend. She thought I’d be interested even if she wasn’t going.”

Lance nods. Aha. So he  _ is  _ here alone. “Bio major?”

“No.”

“Environmental?”

“No, I just...really like bees…” his face heats up when he says it - this insanely adorable blush of light pink across his cheekbones. 

Lance is definitely crushing. He can feel it in his chest. “That’s really cute.”

Keith turns his head toward the window a bit to hide it. Doesn’t say anything. It’s even cuter.

“So what, your plan is to drive across the country with no one to talk to?”

The little wave of Keith’s phone is his answer.

Lance smirks. “I like the internet as much as the next person, but you can’t spend twenty two hours on your phone, dude.”

“Okay...?” 

“Okay.”

The bus hits a pothole - shakes the interior and their shoulders and Lance’s ability to keep himself from being desperate. Well... _ too  _ desperate.

“Okay so...who’s your favorite musical artist?”

Keith glances back over. “What?” Eyes the notecard in Lance’s hand.

It’s the official Bus Buddies Ice Breaker list. 

“Who’s your favorite group to listen to?” Lance tries again. “Or person, I guess…”

The little edge of confusion is prominent in this guy’s brow again. Like he’s having trouble figuring something out. And it’s definitely not the ice breaker. “Uh...I dunno.”

Lance rolls his eyes good naturedly, because come on, that’s bullshit. Everyone has a favorite thing to listen to. Maybe he’s just a shy guy. That’s probably it. Lance has to constantly remind himself that not everyone is as overwhelmingly outgoing as he is. 

“Okaaay, next one then. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?”

Another pause. More silence. He and Hunk definitely didn’t have this much trouble when they blazed through it. Then again, they technically answered the questions with the other person’s answer like the Very Extra BFFs they are. And now he’s doing it with a stranger. Maybe this whole ice breaker thing isn’t as tried and true as the trip coordinator planned it to b-

“New Zealand.”

“Huh?”

Keith stares down at the seat in front of him. “New Zealand. I’d live in New Zealand.”

It takes a second to process, but then Lance is smiling, rejuvenated and sitting up straighter. “Okay! Okay so follow up question: how come?”

“I like the mountains.”

“Noted. You like mountains and bees,” Lance speaks his mental list, “Got it.”

Keith smiles. A small one. A very microscopic one but it’s still a smile and it’s  _ super  _ fucking cute and Lance is gonna see how many of those he can get out of him by the end of these questions.

It’s gonna be tricky with the way Keith snatches the card from his hands like that, though.

“Who’s your favorite fictional character?”

Ahh, how the tables have turned. That’s cool. Lance is up for it. Alright, his favorite character. “You watch Teen Wolf?”

“No.”

“Okaaaaay, thennn,” he thinks on it. “Right now it’d have to be Finn from Force Awakens.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s funny and has a lot of good qualities that I aspire to. Plus he gets to mack on Oscar Isaac, which I definitely wouldn’t turn down.”

Smile number two. There’s even a little bit of a laugh in there. “What the hell are you talking about.”

“Finn? Poe? Did you not see the movie?”

“I did, and I’m pretty sure no one made out in it.”

“Not  _ on- _ screen.”

Keith’s laugh is genuine now - sounding like honey in his ears over the not so subtle scrape of the bus’s bumper against the side of the highway’s guard rail. Lance smiles. Glances up to direct it at where Hunk is peering over the seat to check on him. 

Oh yeah. He should’ve came back here a long time ago.

\-  -  -  -  -  -

They get through all the ice breaker questions. Some of it is painful, but Lance is nothing if not committed to this, so they power through and answer them all and when it’s time to start thinking of excuses to stay back here, Keith steps in. Makes that eye contact. Blushes a little as he asks him if he would possibly be interested in watching The Force Awakens with him because it just so happens to be one of the ten movies he downloaded on his phone and it’s not like they don’t have the time, right?

Lance is sold after the initial offer, not even really registering the excuses that follow because  _ fuck  _ yeah he’ll stay back here and watch Star Wars with this cute-ass dude. To even consider that he’d say no is insulting, honestly, and he really doesn’t need that kind of negativity in his life.

So they do, Keith first rummaging through his bag to pull on a black hoodie that’s softer than it looks. Lance knows because the constant movement of the bus has their shoulders swaying together, until they just give in and slouch together for constant contact instead of distracting collisions. 

Keith holds his phone between them and hands Lance the right earbud and they press into each other, getting comfy and the sun beginning to set on the horizon as BB-8 scoots across the sands of Jakkuu. 

 

\-  -  -  -  -  

 

It’s dark when they reach their first rest stop. They magically pull in just as the credits are beginning to roll on Keith’s screen. And if that isn’t fate, Lance doesn’t know what is.

“So how’s it going?”

He, Pidge, and Hunk stand outside near the stop’s makeshift picnic area, breathing in the fresh night air and stretching their legs while they have the chance. 

Lance is a tiny bit surprised by Pidge’s genuine interest, but isn’t about to question it. “Good. Like  _ really  _ good.” Keith hasn’t come out of the small convenience store tacked onto the bathroom area yet, but Lance is feeling the good vibes. “I think he doesn’t hate me at least.”

“That’s a good start,” Hunk supposes, twisting at the waist to work out the knots in his back. “Not hating each other doesn’t always lead to babymaking, but it could in this situation.”

Lance snickers. “No need to cover up the fact that you miss me, big guy. I’m only a few rows away.”

Hunks laughs. “Yeah, I’m definitely dying with all the extra space to stretch out.”

The breeze blows through them and further into the night, the trio of friends comfortable in their silence and letting themselves appreciate the change of scenery. Farther forward, the glass convenience store door bounces moonlight back towards them as Keith emerges, a small bag of something in hand. 

He spots Lance. Spots Hunk and Pidge. Hesitates and then saunters over to the You Are Here map pressed under foggy glass beneath the awning of the building. 

They’re in Kansas. Lance already checked.

“Alright, let’s start making tracks,” the trip coordinator calls from the open doors of the coach bus. “Everybody back on.”

The group of scattered students all start making their way back, getting their last stretches in while they can. The trio is last on, which isn’t a problem until Lance’s brain shakes the beginning tendrils of sleepiness in realization. Because then he’s standing in the aisle, looking between his seat next to Hunk...and the seat next to Keith.

Hm. 

Does-...is Keith still cool with him sitting back there with him? Because Lance wants to. A lot. But maybe that was just a one time thing, unspokenly ended by the rest stop.  _ But... _

“Hey Hunk?”

“Hm?”

“Would you hate me if I nullified our bus buddy contract?”

Hunk chuckles and shakes his head. “Dude no. Go.”

“You sure?”

“Definitely.”

“Yeah,” Pidge weighs in, stretching their legs out across the empty aisle seat. “It’d be good for you two to not be up each other’s asses for once.”

Lance nods. True.

Alright then, it’s decided. 

Stepping over people’s bags is harder in the dark than it was the first time, but he does it while only accidentally elbowing  _ one  _ dude in the shoulder, muttering his apology just as Keith notices his approach.

“You’re back,” he says when Lance swings back in. And it’s in such an even inflection that Lance has to ask.

“Yeah, that cool?”

Keith nods, looking out the window at the lights that will disappear soon. “Yeah it’s-...that’s fine…”

Cute.

“We’re about to pull out,” calls the coordinator from the front. “Does everyone have their bus buddy?”

It’s a quick-check. Attendance without attendance. Fast so they can get on and off and move forward without having to go through lists of names. 

When Lance looks, Keith is peeking over at him, gaze unsure. It’s so obvious he’s trying to figure it out without asking and Lance just wants to hug him.

“So...you okay with having a bus buddy after all?”

His question has Keith frowning - nodding up toward Lance’s friend group. “What about-”

“I’ve seen Hunk every day for years now. I think it’ll be fine.” He explains it calmly. “Besides,” what he says next, however, comes with a grin, “I kinda wanna get to know you better.”

It pulls that heat right to Keith’s face as intended. “What, just ‘kinda’?”

And ooh, cute guy’s got game, even if it’s said through a blush. “Alright, you got me. I just try not to scare pretty guys off within hours of meeting them.”

The small lights above the aisles ease off as the bus begins to roll out of the parking lot, but not before Lance can catch the smitten little smile that dances its way across Keith’s lips. It looks good there. Like it belongs there, pulling softly at the corners. 

Lance gives himself a mental pat on the back and settles into the seat with a successful exhale. 

Save the Bees? 

More like Save Lance’s Poor Heart Before it Overflows, Holy Shit.

 

\-  -  -  -  -  -

 

There’s not too much to look at in this particular stretch of Kansas. Anything noticeable far-off is drowned in the nighttime - in the blackness of the sky and the ground and the silence in the bus as people drop off into sleep one by one in front of them.

The occasional car will pass them, going the other direction. Its headlights are harsh and sting Lance’s eyes but he’s okay with it because it’s easier to see Keith’s face. The gentle flutter of his eyelashes as he blinks. The ease in his shoulders...his expression. Lance gets a chance to see it - to take it all in as much as he can in the snapshot of light before it plunges them back into the darkness.

Another flash. 

Keith’s nose scrunches up as he brings a hand to his mouth, covering his yawn.

Lance leans his shoulder against him a little tighter. “Bedtime huh?”

“Mm…”

It’s around midnight. They’re the last ones up. So...

“Me too I think,” he speaks quietly, then scoots toward the aisle with reluctance. “I’ll go back up so you can stretch out-”

“No, you-” Keith’s straightening with another loud exhale, like he’s being pulled from the first layer of sleep. “I mean…” It’s hard to see his expression, but the smallness of his voice is enough. “You don’t have to go...if you don’t...want to…”

Another flash of headlights. He’s silhouetted by it now, his body facing toward him. 

Lance doesn’t need to scramble to commit it to memory, because he’s too busy fighting down the warm ball of giddiness climbing in his chest. 

He wants him to stay.  _ Keith  _ wants him to stay. He’d rather be with him than have the luxury of creating a makeshift bed over two seats.

“I’ll uh…” Lance motions toward his old seat. “Do you have a blanket?”

“No.”

“Want me to get mine?”

A pause. Then a nod.

It provides Lance the opportunity to get up and walk off the giddiness, most of the bags cleared out of the walkway and making his trip to the overhead compartment above his old seat much easier.

Hunk’s all laid out, hoodie-pillow and blanket in position and looking as comfortable as one could be while sleeping in a ten ton vehicle that’s ripping down the highway at sixty five miles an hour.

Lance puts it out of his mind, reaching up to pull down the fleece blanket he had folded and stowed away. It flops open a bit - something he has to fix before turning to make his way ba-

“You cozy motherfuckers.” 

Lance feels his life get snatched from his body only to be thrown back into him in a single phrase. 

Pidge is still up. 

Of course they are.

“Fuck,” he gasps, eyes closing and free hand coming to grasp over his heart as it restarts. “Shit, Pidge. What the hell.”

“If that blanket comes back with any questionable body fluids, we’re leaving you in California.”

They say it so calmly that Lance almost feels like his own frown of displeasure is unjustified. “Ew.”

“Fair warning.”

“Gross and unneeded, thank you.”

Pidge shrugs, then continues to scroll through their phone like nothing was said at all. Lance decides to do the same, stuffing the blanket under his arm and turning snappily on his heels to make his way to the back of the bus again.

Keith is in sweatpants when he returns - a lightning fast wardrobe change that could’ve gotten awkward if Pidge hadn’t unknowingly kept Lance like they had. (Thank you, Pidge.)

The bus flies over a bump in the road, not so gently helping Lance to settle back down before unfolding his blanket and draping it over himself. It’s got a pastel Pi kachu pattern scattered on it - maybe not the most impressive bedding - but the brightness of it is dimmed in the dark, so he feels more comfortable lifting a corner of it in offering.

Keith stares at it, the corner of his mouth quirked up in amusement, but he takes the offered end and pulls it sparingly over the closest thigh. 

“Thanks.”

“Mhm.”

And then they’re back in the silence. 

Back in the passing Kansas-night. 

Back to stealing glances between headlight snapshots.

The minutes tick by either really fast or really slow. Lance can’t tell, because he doesn’t want to ruin the moment by blasting them with the light from his lockscreen to check. So he just lets them tick. Lets the stars wash by. Lets Keith’s thigh bump up against his as they sway in the quiet. 

He loses himself in it. Gets swallowed up. Feels the heady mute of his brain and slow drag of objects around him several times before an illy-timed jostle of the bus pulls him back out. 

Keith sighs beside him.

“Can’t sleep?” Lance already knows the answer. Asks it lowly anyway. When he gets a head shake  _ no,  _ he continues. “I have a playlist that helps me. Wanna listen to it?”

It’s a nod that he gets this time, so he pulls his phone out and swipes it open to the aptly named  _ Peaceful Indie Ambient _ playlist on spotify, just in time for Keith to untangle his headphones again and hand over the right one. 

The first song is always good for calming him down - a relaxing guitar melody that repeats dependably without the distraction of lyrics. Lance starts there. Lets it play and watches the visible relaxation taking over the boy next to him. It’s a surreal moment unfolding before him - the night sky framing the face of someone he’s just met, someone he’d very much like to hold or be held by, as peaceful guitar strums in the background, tugging gently at his heartstrings.

Lance wonders how he got here.

Wonders how he can stay.

Wonders if he can memorize the feeling of Keith comfortably slipping down towards him, their thighs pressing together and his head dropping down to rest softly against Lance’s shoulder.

Because he’d like to remember this for a long time, please. 

For as long as he can, if that’s possible.

He appreciates it in the present just in case.

 

\-  -  -  -  -  -

 

Lance’s neck is  _ killing  _ him when he’s jerked awake by the bus driving over the curb. It’s killing him because he spent a few good hours with his head tilted into Keith’s hair like a pillow. It had felt nice then, but in retrospect…

The curb that woke him, actually, is the curb to the stadium parking lot that the buses are congregating at. Which means they’re in California. Which means-

“We’re here!”

He says it a little too excitedly.

It makes Keith lurch awake, the seam of Lance’s shirt imprinted on the side of his face.

Very  _ very _ cute.

\-  -  -  -  -  -

California is hot. Approximately 45 degrees hotter than the midwest from which they came, if they’re going to be specific. Lance breaks a sweat in his jeans and hoodie as soon as he steps foot outside, but he’s so stoked to finally be here that he’s more concerned about taking snaps than changing like everyone else. 

Hunk finally forces him - puts his hands behind him on his shoulders and physically walks him to the bathroom so he can not die of heat stroke. Keith is still in his Midwest Attire™ too when he comes out, which leads to this whole thing of Lance adopting Hunk’s role and telling him he’s gonna die for sure if he doesn’t change, but turns out Keith didn’t fully understand the parameters of the trip when packing. Which means he doesn’t have California Attire™. Which means he planned on staying in 88 degree weather in jeans and a hoodie. Which means Lance absolutely refuses to let this happen because he’s 'gonna die for sure’ and he can’t get on board with that when he has an extra pair of shorts and tank top, because while Keith majorly  _ under- _ packed, Lance majorly  _ over- _ packed.

So that’s how they find themselves marching down a closed off street in San Francisco with thousands of other people, various handmade signs held over their heads and Keith completely clad in Lance Attire™.

Lance wants to take a picture so bad. Wants to document the  _ just  _ too loose straps of his tank top from high school and how they lay over Keith’s shoulders, the black-trimmed collar lining dipped below his collarbones. He wants to have a visual documentation of it but this isn’t what they’re here for. They’re here for the bees, if the constant chant of “SAVE. THE. BEES.” isn’t an indicator enough. So he doesn’t. Yet.

But he definitely sneaks a couple good peeks every once in a while between fighting for their buzzing comrades.

\-  -  -  -  -  -  -

Pidge turns into a tomato in the sun, even with the impressive amount of sunscreen they slather all over themself. Lance and Hunk don’t have too much of a problem, but Pidge definitely does. And Keith. Yep. Keith, who refuses to hear that the tops of his shoulders are getting red. Keith, who won’t entertain the idea that his nose is starting to burn no matter how many times Lance tells him. Nope. He simply carries on, sunglasses shielding him from the incessant eyebrow raises he gets from his not only his bus buddy, but now also his bus buddy’s friends.

He denies it and denies it and denies it and Lance just eventually buckles down to it, catching the sunscreen that Pidge throws him mid-march and squeezing a healthy amount onto his palm. He makes sure to do it in secret behind Keith so that by the time he’s got it ready, he’s in the perfect position for a sneak attack - both hands coming down to rub the sunscreen into the tops of Keith’s shoulders with great success. 

Keith tenses - ducks his head away and tries to find the source of the no doubt chilly lotion lathering into his skin until Lance intercepts him - “Chill dude, s’just me” - and honestly, they can’t stop walking with the hundreds of people behind them so Keith doesn’t really have a choice but to take care of the nice skin the universe blessed him with. The  _ really  _ nice skin. The really nice and smooth skin. And soft. And that-...the…

What was Lance talking about?

\-  -  -  -  -  -

All skincare aside, the march goes really well.

Lance likes yelling and being generally super hype about everything, so to yell and be hype about bees is actually really awesome. It’s what unanimously gets him elected as the unofficial chant caller in his section of marchers, which he does with flying colors. 

He stays hydrated, so his throat doesn’t even hurt that bad when they reach the end of the march route, the block of people all spreading out into the large stretch of open area. 

Hunk immediately finds shade to stretch out and crash under, enjoying the sea breeze and nice weather to the speeches of the rally speakers further away. Pidge heads for the informational booths, lured in by organic honey samples. And Keith… Keith kinda just... _ disappears  _ for a while. Lance doesn’t know  _ where  _ he goes - sorta wishes they’d swapped numbers like the Official Bus Buddies Instructions told them to. But they didn’t. See he has no idea where he is. Which means he looks among the rally goers for a while before finally camping out with Hunk in his blissful space.

He doesn’t mean to take a nap. Really he doesn’t. It just sort of happens. 

\-  -  -  -  -  -

Waking up to darkness when you’re expecting daylight is a weird sensation, but it’s made impossibly more comfortable with the curiously content gaze on him.

“Hey.” It’s Keith. He’s Returned™. “Wanna show you something.”

Lance’s legs feel a little like jelly as he follows Keith toward the edge of the gathering (which is still going strong), but it’s worth it for the view - for the feeling when he turns to see Lance has fallen behind a few people so he reaches out and grabs onto his wrist - leads him forward. 

Lance’s legs don’t get with the program but his heart does, perhaps a bit too quickly, because as soon as he’s catching up and they’re breaking free from the rest of the people into the open space, he slides his wrist up so he can slip his hand into Keith’s. It’s not a big deal. Their fingers aren’t laced or anything. But Lance’s heart is having a field day with it nonetheless.

“Where’re we going?” he asks out of both curiosity and the need for some sort of certainty before he has a heart attack. 

And as they reach the wall of shrubbery around the perimeter of the event grounds, Keith smiles - this small, mischievous little smile that makes Lance’s stomach do a backflip - and then reaches out to pull aside an opening in the wall of landscaping.

Lance peeks through. 

Smells the salt in the air before he sees it.

The ocean.

“Whoa…”

Keith is watching him when he looks back. Waiting. Then:

“Wanna cool off?”

\-  -  -  -  -  -

Lance has never been to the ocean. This is his first time on the coast. And he’ll be damned if he misses out on his first experience,  _ with  _ the added bonus of experiencing it with his cutie of a bus buddy. Which means he goes all in. Right away. Full stop.

His shirt and his shorts are already folded on the sandy shore by the time Keith seems to work up enough courage to start stripping, his cheeks rivaling the sunburn on his shoulders as he pulls the hem of the tank top he borrowed over his head. 

Lance pretends not to notice. Pretends not to  _ watch.  _ He saves the watching for when Keith is finally down to his briefs and wading into the water in front of him, his frame lean but slighter than Lance was imagining. Is it appropriate to tell him he has a cute butt? Can he _finally_ use the phrase “cutie with a booty” out loud after all this time?

He decides against it. Will probably regret it. Settles for appreciating the cool water as he lowers himself in and then uses the sandy bottom to propel himself out, forward and with a silly grin as he passes Keith, who rolls his eyes but smiles as well as Lance makes a show of it.

“Feels gooooood,” he hums, watching Keith continue his steady acclimation to the water’s chill. “You are seriously so smart.”

Keith flicks his finger over the surface, playfully flinging droplets onto Lance’s face. 

Lance flinches. Hums another laugh. Sways his arms through the water and lets the heat he retained today soak away. “Where’d you run off to anyway?”

“When.”

“ _ ‘When’.  _ Like the whole time we’ve been here, dude.”

Keith settles, the water finally chest high. He looks much more comfortable now. “Oh. Just around.” He must sense the silent dissatisfaction of his answer, because he searches for something better. “Okay well, let’s see...watched that councilwoman speak...tried some honeycomb lotion…-oh, I somehow ended up in a smoking circle with people from Alaska. It’s legal here, you know.”

The last part is worth the question. “And you didn’t invite me.”

Keith smiles. “I didn’t know you smoked. Also I didn’t know where you were.”

“Yeah well we’re supposed to have each other’s numbers,” Lance teases, an eyebrow raising as he rides out the gentle incoming wave. “We’re supposed to look out for each other, you know.”

“Like how you attacked me with sunscreen today?”

“You mean how I saved your gorgeous skin from burning to a crisp? Yes.” And yeah. Lance said it. He’s not even embarrassed, how about that.

Keith sinks low - the surface of the water covering up his smile, but not the blush in his cheeks. 

Fuck, he’s cute.

Even more-so in the moonlight.

God… “Please tell me you’re single…” 

He doesn’t really mean to say it out loud. At all, actually. 0% of him wanted to say that out loud but now that he has, now that Keith’s eyes are widening just a bit as he glances up at him through his bangs, Lance is finding it hard not to do a little blushing of his own.

“So you uh-...” he drifts backward a little bit, scanning the horizon. “You think there’s sharks out here?”

An unconventional distraction, but a distraction all the same.

Keith makes a noise, emerging from his hiding place to do a bit of drifting on his own. Only it’s not away. “Why would you say something like that…”

“Why, you scared of sharks?”

_ “ No,  _ it’s just-” he frowns, floating closer and closer without trying to look like he’s doing so. “It’s dark. We’re out here alone. You  _ really  _ have to talk about sharks right now?”

He’s definitely scared. At least a little bit. 

Lance offers a teasing grin. “Don’t worry sweetheart. I’ll protect you.”

Keith scoffs. Turns his back to him to look off into the distance. “I’m  _ not  _ worried. Also there’s no way you could protect me against a shark - that’s an empty claim.”

Lance creeps forward, too tempted by the opening. “I would absolutely defend you.”

“Sure you would.”

“I would fight the entire ocean for you.”

“Do you even hear yourself talk?”

And the answer is no, Lance isn’t actually focusing on what he’s saying right now because he’s too busy closing in - going in for the grab and hooking his ankle around Keith’s shin from behind, a high-pitched shriek of a shout as he catches him off guard enough to pull him in. Keith twists in his arms, fists raised but not landing and then it’s just laughter - first from Lance (always from Lance), and then from his victim, because-

“Seriously?” but he’s smiling wide - wider than Lance has seen until now. And the laughter rises up into the night sky and rings in Lance’s chest and  _ fuck…  _

_ Fuck,  _ Lance’s heart is so full right now. 

His chest. 

His lungs. 

He can’t swallow down the pleasant hum from inside and he just holds onto him. Onto Keith. Onto where Keith’s finally starting to come down from his adrenaline spike, the laughter dying peacefully and smile remaining and it starts to drop off into something surreal… The closeness… The breath between them… The thoughtful flick of Keith’s gaze from Lance’s eyes, to his lips. Then to his eyes. Then back down. And Lance doesn’t have the chance to register how badly he wants to kiss him before Keith is leaning forward, the press of his lips against Lance’s soft, but powered by something impulsive. Uninhibited.

It’s taking a second to register, Lance’s eyes widening. And surely he’s still asleep in the shade next to Hunk because-

Keith pulls away with a start. Looks like he doesn’t know where to put his hands.

Lance can tell him - he really can - but...

“Sorry,” Keith breathes out, gaze in the water between them. And he sounds more surprised than anything...like… “I don’t-”

His words fall away at the feeling of Lance’s hand coming up to pull him closer underwater, their chests meeting and the space closing in again. 

Lance’s heart is going to take off right for the fucking moon at any moment here. It really is. He’s going to absolutely  _ die  _ if he doesn’t get a second chance to appreciate Keith’s storybook attempt at a first kiss, even if Keith doesn’t seem like he even  _ knew  _ he was going for the attempt in the first place.

“Lance-”

“We should do that again.”

Keith stammers. “We... _ should?”  _ Continues even as Lance slowly moves in. “Because- I mean… You just met me yesterday.”

“Yeah?” he murmurs, “And you met me yesterday too, but you just kissed me. So what’s your point.”

The gentle wave carries them up before easing them back down.

Keith doesn’t have an answer for him. 

And Lance gets it, he does, but please tell him that the stars haven’t aligned themselves for exactly this moment between them. How perfect could it be?

“Okay.”

Lance blinks. “Okay what?”

“Okay, I’m ready.”

Another blink. It’s when he realizes Keith’s eyes are closed. Ready. He’s ready to kiss again. Lance can feel the giddy buzz of warmth from his chest to his toes. “Oh my  _ god  _ you are so fucking cu-”

The lips over his cut him off, but he’s not complaining. Not in the slightest. Because Keith’s got his hands on the side of his neck, dripping but warm. Gentle but steady. 

And yep.

There goes Lance’s heart.

Straight up to the fucking moon.

 

\-  -  -  -  -  -

 

Lance is on a puppy-love high for the rest of the night, smile goofy and thoughts circulating around one central theme.

Said central theme moves around like he’s trying to make himself as small as possible. Until Lance drops back and nudges against him playfully enough to get a smile out of him. 

Their bus picks them up nearby and then they set forth on their way back across the country, everyone packing it in and doing their best to get comfortable after a long day in the sun (but not before the coordinator asks if everyone has their bus buddy).

Lance drapes his Pikachu blanket over himself, offering the end to Keith, who is still trying to make himself small against the window. But he takes it. Actually covers himself up with it this time. And when Lance puts on the  _ Peaceful Indie Ambient  _ playlist, he starts to uncoil himself, the ease of the guitar melody unfolding him piece by piece. 

Lance pulls at the lever on the side of his seat to drop the back down on a decline, waiting for Keith to do the same before he lies himself back.

“Do you-...” he’s got his arm out but the combination of sleepiness and a long day makes trying to figure out if his bus buddy wants to cuddle difficult. He goes for a tired, closed-eyed rendition of Enrique Iglesias’s  _ Hero  _ instead. “ _ I can be your pillow baby…” _

Keith snorts, smile guarded yet amused, but it doesn’t take much more than that for him to give in, situating himself on his side so he can rest his head against the top of Lance’s chest.

Lance rests his arm back around Keith’s side, confident in the fact that even if he doesn’t get any sleep, at least he’ll have a few hours to appreciate this feeling. 

 

\-  -  -  -  -  -  -

 

Somewhere...between California and Missouri...Keith lifts his head, eyes blinking tiredly but affectionately up at Lance as he rests his chin on his shoulder.

Lance feels the corner of his mouth curl warmly…

Isn’t quite sure if he’s dreaming…

Leans down and brushes their lips together just in case he is…

Keith hums, satisfied, and then settles his head back down against his chest.

Days later, Lance still isn’t sure if it’s a dream or not.

 

\-  -  -  -  -  -  - 

 

They pull onto campus after what feels like forever, but too soon for Lance, who realizes too late that he slept through most of the daytime ride back. 

He doesn’t know what Keith got up to while he no doubt drooled all over himself like an idiot, but there’s no time to fix it because they’re stepping off the bus, backpacks swung over their shoulders and other items in hand. 

Hunk and Pidge head back to the dorms immediately, either for their own sakes or for Lance’s - he doesn’t know that either. All he knows is the sun is setting again and he’s standing in the parking lot as the coach bus drives away, something gross and heavy settling oddly in his chest. 

Because…

That’s it. 

It’s over. 

And there’s probably a good possibility Keith might want to keep this as a weekend-trip-fling sort of thing, since everyone knows it’s easy to get wrapped up in shit when you’re already on an adventure. 

But when you get back to your normal day-to-day…

“So…” Lance can’t stop himself.

Keith looks just as unsure. “So…”

Everyone’s gone. It’s just them. Awkward. What Lance wouldn’t give to be back in the Pacific Ocean right about now.

“So I’m gonna give you my number,” he’s the first one to move forward, hand out even if his confidence is faked. “And you can do whatever with it. Cool?”

Keith watches him, confusion beginning to work its way back into his brows like the first time Lance had sat down next to him. But he lets him put his number in anyway, taking his phone back when he’s done. “Whatever I want with it…”

“Yeah,” Lance readjusts the fit of his backpack with a little bounce. “Get rid of it? Check in every once in awhile?” he lists off the possibilities, although the one he hopes sounds the most appealing is, “Hit me up if you wanna hang out or something?”

Keith looks like he’s doing a lot of thinking. “Or something?” Lance can tell because he’s also doing a lot of echoing.

“Yeah. Or something.” He doesn’t want to sound desperate. “Coffee. A drink. Diner food, I dunno.”

Keith smiles at the ground. “Diner food…”

“Yeah, diner food.”

The breeze that drifts between them is different. No salt. No warmth. Just gross midwest gloom. 

“It’s cold.”

Lance nods. “For real. I’m actually gonna go so I can get that sweatpants life on.”

It makes Keith exhale a huff of a laugh. “Me too.”

“Alright. So I guess I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah.”

Another nod. Lance hesitates. Can he hug him? Shit, can he kiss him? No, maybe not kiss… But hug-

“Okay, bye…” Keith turns, hands grasping at the straps of his bookbag as he walks towards the directions of the dorms on the south side of campus.

And Lance wants to kick himself because  _ that’s  _ what hesitation gets you. Neither a hug  _ nor  _ a kiss. Just an ‘okay, bye’.

Way to go Lance.

The walk back is cold. Like, remarkably cold. But Lance powers through it for a good five minutes before he really starts to kick himself. He should’ve just done it. Hesitation has literally never gotten him anywhere good. What’d his mom always tell him?  _ Walk and talk with a purpose, little one, or your opportunities will pass you by. _

Whelp. There they go. Right fucking by him, look at that, Ma.

The buzz in Lance’s shorts has him shaking his head. Hunk now too. Probably asking him what’s taking so long. 

He squints at the message, eyes narrowing.

Oh.

It’s an unknown number.

_ diner food? _

Lance stops walking without realizing it. 

That’s-...this is Keith.

Keith is texting him about diner food? 

**right now?** he texts back. And is it healthy for his heart to be beating so hopefully like this?

_ yeah do you wanna go get some? _

It’s been...literally like five minutes. It’s been five minutes since they went their separate ways and...and Keith just texted him to meet up again.

“Oh my god.” He says it out loud. He can’t help it. He can’t believe his life. 

He also can’t help the smile, the warmth returning to his chest as he turns on his heels with a little pep in his step.

**meet u halfway**

Fuck that sweatpants life.

Time to go meet up with the backseat cutie.

(Between you and him, he takes his mama’s advice and goes for both the hug and the kiss this time.)

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> here's the [Peaceful Indie Ambient playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX0x36cwEyOTG) for anyone who's interested. it got me through my own 22 hour bus ride to save the environment.
> 
> also pls peep this [awesome art](http://shiroganbatte.tumblr.com/post/160235137560/whatthebodygraspsnot-coughs-inspired-by-this) that [shiroganbatte](http://shiroganbatte.tumblr.com/) made after only a few hundred words as inspiration wow


End file.
